Are you getting organized for the new year or preparing for tax season? Getting rid of unnecessary documents can free up space (and help prevent identity theft). But if you have a lot of extra paper to shred, it can be time-consuming to feed a few sheets at a time into your home shredder. Luckily, there are places that can shred in bulk.
Why You Should Shred Personal Files and Documents
Protecting your personal information is important to preventing identity theft. We all worry about our bank account numbers or credit cards being stolen (a headache we certainly want to avoid). But in reality, these types of thefts are easier to fix than personal data theft. Closing a bank account is a hassle, but changing your Social Security number, name, address, or date of birth is neither easy nor practical.
Paper shredding is an essential part of your spring cleaning routine as it keeps your personal information private. If your personal information is stolen, you should keep an eye on your accounts or hire an identity/credit monitoring service.
Paper Shredding Options
Depending on your specific needs and personal circumstances, you can either purchase a paper shredder to keep in your home office or use a paper shredding service. Let’s break down some of the considerations for both options.
Buy a paper shredder
- If space is not an issue and you don’t have a ton of paperwork piled up, investing in a home paper shredder makes sense. Small personal paper shredders don’t cost much, but they are limited in the number of documents they can process at one time, so larger jobs can take a long time.
- There are many different types and sizes of paper shredders. The safer styles and larger capacity shredders are more expensive.
- Paper shredders require maintenance, including cleaning the blades.
- You should recycle your shredded paper.
paper shredder
Bonsai Paper Shredder, 8-Sheet Crosscut Shredder
$33.99 (regular price $42.48)
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Fellowes 14C10 14 Sheet Crosscut Home Office Paper Shredder
$99.99
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Aurora AU1210MA Professional Grade High Security 12 Sheet Micro Cut Shredder
$123.74
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Use our paper shredding service
- The biggest advantage of using a paper shredding service is that you don’t have to store or maintain a shredder.
- You can drop off your documents in person, schedule a pickup, or request a mobile shredding service to come to your home.
- No matter the size of your job, our shredding service is quick and easy, and includes paper recycling.
- Some offer paper shredding services for free, while others charge a fee.
Best Paper Shredding Services (and Costs)
1. FedEx Paper Shredding
How it works: Call your local FedEx store to see if shredding is available. Most stores offer a drop-off service where documents are weighed and placed in a securely locked container until Iron Mountain picks them up for shredding and recycling.
expense: $1.49 per pound
fedex paper shredding
2. Office Depot Paper Shredding
How it works: Office Depot has partnered with Iron Mountain to offer a few different paper shredding options. You can choose a one-time pick-up or a regular shredding service that comes to your home or office. For smaller operations, you can also call your local Office Depot to find out about in-store shredding.
costs: If you grind it in-store, it will cost 99 cents per pound, or $89.99 for a one-time pickup of 1 to 3 boxes.
Office Depot Paper Shredding
3. UPS Store Paper Shredding
How it works: You should go to theupsstore.com and find your local UPS store to check the price and availability of paper shredding services. Typically, UPS offers document shredding by weight. They charge by the pound and shredding can include office paper, receipts, notes, and printed materials.
No need to remove staples, paper clips or folders. When you call your local store for a price quote, salespeople sometimes tell you that the bins are full, so if you plan on putting down a lot of them, call ahead to make sure they have room to put your documents.
expense: It costs $1.49 per pound, and once it reaches 50 pounds, it drops to $1 per pound. The documents are stored in an Iron Mountain lockable shredder.
UPS Store Paper Shredding
4. staples paper shredder
How it works: Staples offers in-store document drop-off or pickup service. Documents are weighed and stored in secure, locked boxes until picked up at Iron Mountain. Pick-up uses storage boxes or boxes. Questions and availability should be directed to the Staples Printing and Marketing Department.
expense: The cost for in-store pickup is $1.29 per pound. Contact your local store for a quote.
staples paper shredder
5. Shredit paper shredder
How it works: This online shredding company is a great choice for large-scale operations or small businesses with recurring shredding needs. You can choose a one-time shredding job with a 2-day or 5-day service guarantee. Shred-it provides a certificate of destruction and guarantees that the work was done by a security professional. You can also set up a regularly scheduled shredding service.
expense: Go to shredit.com or call 877-310-0286 to get a quote based on the specifics of your project.
Shredit paper shredder
6. SoCal Shred Paper Shredding
How it works: This local crushing service operates in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. They offer mobile crushing services, one-time purge crushing services, and offsite crushing locations.
expense: Use our online quote calculator. To give you an idea, my request for 3 boxes of shredded paper to pick up at home is $130.
SoCal Shred Paper Shredding
7. Shred Nations Paper Shredding
How it works: This website connects you with local shredding services. I looked at my area in Southern California, but Shred Nations connects you with many areas across the country. Fill out the online quote request form or call your local number.
Within minutes, you will be connected to a service provider, who will provide you with a locked shredding bin, which will then return when full and shred the contents while you watch. You will also receive a certificate of destruction.
expense: It depends on the area and size of the job. Call or get a quote online.
Shred Nations Paper Shredding
8. ProShred Paper Shredding
How it works: The company serves 41 metropolitan areas in 26 states. Check online to see if they serve your area. They offer a variety of services for large businesses, as well as residential services and options for small businesses. You can stop by a ProShred store or have ProShed come to you with their mobile shredding truck.
expense: Get a quote online at proshred.com or call 1-877-767-4733.
ProShred Paper Shredding
Are paper shredding services safe?
We know that security is a major concern, so all document shredding services provide security procedures. Most commonly, documents are locked in a container to ensure that they remain private until they are shredded. All companies that provide this service provide secure shredding and explain specific security procedures.
Where can I get free paper shredding service near me?
In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, some companies, local businesses, or cities/towns may offer free paper shredding and recycling services.
The post 8 Best Paper Shredding Services + How Much Do They Cost? appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
